The present invention relates generally to the field of electronic systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of coupling of signals for communication in electronic systems.
A typical multidrop signal distribution system comprises a device at one end of a bus and multiple devices electrically coupled to that bus by a respective coupling requiring direct metal to metal contact. Each device along the bus, however, acts electrically as a lumped capacitive load on the bus, lowering both line impedance and signal propagation speed on the bus. As a result, such a system experiences increased power dissipation, requires increased power to drive the bus in order to achieve a desired signal-to-noise ratio, and experiences increased delays for signal reception at distant points along the bus.
The lumped capacitive loads also cause impedance discontinuities and reflections for signals transmitted at relatively high frequencies. In practice, such a system may only use a relatively short bus as compared to the wavelength of the fundamental frequency transmitted over the bus. Such a system may therefore transmit only relatively low frequency, and therefore relatively long wavelength, signals.